The present invention relates generally to apparatus for applying a massaging effect to the body of a user and, more particularly, to dry hydro-therapy body massage apparatus utilizing a fluid spray arrangement for massage effect.
Massage is a time-honored and generally effective therapy for muscular injuries, strains and general soreness but, although massage is still recommended by many physicians for such purposes, this therapy has severely limited availability due to a scarcity of trained, qualified masseurs. As a result, many devices and apparatus have been proposed in the past for producing a massage-like manipulation of a user's body by various means, ranging from mechanically or electrically-generated vibrations or pulsations, usually accompanied by heating, to pulsations of pressurized water, applied either is a wet environment such as partially submerging the user's body in a bath device or in a dry environment wherein a fluid spray arrangement is housed in a fluid-tight bed or chair type structure for applying a massaging effect to the user's body without requiring the user to disrobe.
Representative examples of the latter form of apparatus, often commonly referred to as dry hydro-therapy massage, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,635,620; 4,751,919; 4,757,808; 4,908,016; 4,976,256; 5,074,286; 5,713,834; 5,827,206; and 6,036,663. Such apparatus have met with moderate success, and efforts continue within the relevant industry to expand their acceptance, availability and usefulness. As with virtually all mechanized appliances, optimal efficiency is desired. In many of known hydro-therapy massage apparatus, the massaging fluid spray is applied via a manifold device arranged for lengthwise travel within the interior of the apparatus alongside the body of a user. To adequately provide a massaging effect to the user's torso, the manifold is usually configured to generate a spray of a width generally commensurate with that of the typical shoulder, back, and hip areas of adult users. However, along the more narrow areas of the neck and legs of a user, the full width of the spray generated by the manifold is unnecessary and results in a portion of the hydro-massage spray impacting unoccupied areas of the user support surface, with a commensurate loss of efficiency and reduction massaging effect.